Studied Segment: Based on previous experiences talking to people about this product, I have come to the conclusion that concerned parents of teenagers in high school or going off to college would be the strongest target market for an installed breathalyzer to start your car. So, I have chosen the segment of parents of students in high school, in college, or of young adults. My first interview was with my friends parent, a female with a freshman in an out of state college. Her son brought his car up and she has this need because if something were to happen, she cannot get to his location so quickly. Another person I interviewed was a teacher from my high school who has a teenage son that is currently a junior in high school and just got his licence a few months ago. My last interview was with a neighbor who has a daughter in high school currently, and believes she will have the need to purchase this product in a very soon as her daughter enters driving age.
Need Awareness: The unmet need is guaranteed safety, or as close to it as possible, for new drivers or college students who are prone to go out frequently, from parents who are very concerned about the possibility of their kids driving while under the influence or being driven by someone who is drunk. Above anything else, the safety and well-being of their children is the most important thing for most parents, and a product that takes huge steps in ensuring safety and protection from one of the top killers of teens and young adults is bound to answer this need.
Information Search: When asked about how they gather information when searching for a solution to a problem or need, i received very similar answers across all three interviews. The most common information search methods were talking to trusted sources like friends, family, and co-workers. And the other most common way was to look up their problem on Google and see if others have this issue or if there is a way to solve them. Search terms are usually limited to the first page of results and trusted websites only but some of the interviewees did not say.
Reported Findings: In my interviews, I found that this need I presented overwhelmingly exists, but the actual product I suggested was met with mixed reviews and some problems I had not initially thought of were brought to my attention. The product was praised for its practicality and that if it worked effectively, could potentially solve drunk driving accidents completely. I also found that the idea of trying to implement laws in which drunk driving offenders were required to purchase one was met with support. I had thought of some of the problems that were suggested such as another friend using the breathalyzer just to start the car for someone else and of getting certain people who need the product the most to not only identify themselves as a risk but actually take action and buy one. One problem that I found that I had not thought of previously was the matter of trust between parent and child. Letting your child have a car and go off to college means freedom, and that the parent trusts they will make the right decisions for themselves. Forcing an installed breathalyzer attachment on your child's car can be seen as the parent not trusting you and believing that you would have poor enough judgement to actually drive under the influence. I can see how a teen can take offense to this and how it can slightly sour relationships within the family.
Conclusion: This is the right market segment for this product. Parents want the best for their children and if I can fix some of the issues presented to me, and change the perceived image of a product like this from one of distrust between parent and teen to just a product meant for precautionary measure, I am certain that this product can thrive in this market segment.
I really love your idea regarding having a breathalyzer attachment on their child's car. I feel like even though they might not like it, as long as they understand that its for their own good they wont really mind it being there. I feel like the bigger problem is them not using it and instead just driving anyway. Good Luck
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you continued on the market path of parents for this product. I know my parents would be interested in buying this item for my sisters or younger brother and as a parent in the future, I would be interested as well. Finding the right market is so important, like our professor said a few lectures ago, 80% of your income will be from 20% of your customers, and in your case that majority will be parents who buy these and recommend them to their friends who have kids.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that the interviews you conducted were tough. I would imagine that a parent would prefer to "not trust" their child while keeping them safe. Like you, I didn't think about that. I'm sure that there are people who outright, don't care if the child feels like their privacy is being invaded if it means that they can keep the kid safe while they are out with friends. Hopefully you can find some of these people.
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